The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1887-06-24
u Air, Nd, June "a, 1887
Mostly From Original DOcnmcnIa.
BY GEO. w. ARCHER.


Al the session Of the provincial Convention Of
July 18th, IS, forty companies OF minute men"
were ordered to be raised in the province. To
that order the following note is practical re-
40 he Committee Of HalJoyd county. GENTLE
MES-You were pleased To grant me commits
leave to inform you that have enrolled q fun
company and II convenient beg you will appoint
gentlemen to view the same on Thursday, the 2d
Nov. next, at EdentOwn lone of Harford's lost
tJwns) am respectfully, Gentlemen,
your most obedt Servant,
The minute men" were raised for a temporary
service demanded by the eXigencies of the times.
have endeavored by aid of the limited amount
of books and documents on hand treating of
revolutionary affairs, to dsentangle the DIVERSE
fled and complicated military organization of
that confused period, with the view OF present.
ing here clear idea of them; but go far have not
been entirely successful. The militia" the
minute men," the independent companies" the
flying camp" and the regulars" present to- the
non-miltary mind, unaided by any special tfea-
tse on the subject, hopelessy entangled web.
This much however may be said: The very first
solve passed by the convention in Dec. ~ merely
recommending that "all male inhabitants be-
tween ID and % years Of age form themselves into
companies, choose officers, and use their utmost
endeavors to make themselves masters of the
military exercise" In April Of the foSowing
mendatIon was earnestly made; and at the July
sesslon-after blood had been actually shed-ths
general enrolment was ordered to be made.
At the session last named forty companies of
minute men,, as before stated. were also ordered
to be raised, ITO serve in this or the neighboring
vention until the LIST March next-three in Har-
ford and Ave in Baltimore county to form one of
the eight battalions, to each of which was to be
attached a company of light infantry" on the
1st Of Jan'y. 70. nine companies of regulars"
were ordered to be enlisted Zone of which also
should be light infantry and formed into a bat
talon; and seven ''independent companies, be-
sides two of artillery and one of marines. This
CJl Smallwood, and enlisted until the end of the
war, was the nucleus of the old Maryland Line |
organized, Of which Maryland's quota was 800 |
men, to be formed into four battalions of nine |
companies each; Ito serve until the LIST of Dec
from this province to New York incusive,-as |
militia of Maryland" To this Flying Camp |
two battalions were added in September-Har-
ford furnishing four companies In ALL In July. |
&c, two companies of rifiemen were ordered Zone |
of when was from Hartford county aud a bat |
TALON of German1, Of four companies. Many of |
the minute men," as well as the soldiers of the |
Flying Camp" on the the expiration v Of their
and served until the end OF the war.
The two following documents will give an ink
ling of the tortuosity Of legal proceedings In those
days. Any debtor who was about TO remove from
the territorial Jurisdiction of the Committee was.
no doubt, promptly dealt with, especially il he .
province Taken altogether, The methods pur-
sued must have made the provcrbial GLORIOUS
uncertainty" oil the law, still more gloriously un-
80 he Honorable Committee Of Har,oyd county:
[endorsed, To the Committee of Licenses GES-
TLEMEN: Robert Elder owes me debt on bond
for which brought suit last spring [prlor 10 the
appointment of the licensing Committed The
writ was returned non est. have frequently ap-
piled to him for payment, or security, but cannot
obtain 1t.
II have judgment against Jacob Wheeler,
and have no special bail. Iapprehend he Is about
TO remove to Charles county; and being DESTROYS
TO secure myself in those debts, beg you give IL
cense to renew my writ against Robert Elder,
and issue III. Fd. against Jacob Wheeler. Your
compliance will oblige
Gent, yr. II be Servant
Dec ii, 1II5. Abra'm Jarrett"
40 NE GeRtleBieB Of he Committee for LiceHsiag
Suits: GENTLEMEN: am fully informed that Sam'i
Holngsworth, of Susquehanna, is about TO leave
the province in few days lin company Of Abra-
ham Robinson) and that he is privately preparing
for such Journey Tho said Hollngsworth
stands Indebted to me eI.O.1 on an account, for
which beg you will give orders for tho issuing a
writ against HINT being the only chance have
of saving the debt. You Will please excuse me
for not attending myself on this occasion, which
I should have done In person, but am so unwcl
for several days as to be scarcely able to sit up.
am Cont, with Respect,
Oct. "a, ITO. your most As'sd Friend,
John Lee Gibson"
Mr.. jarrett was for many years Register of
Wills, and Mr.. Gibson-for n still longer period,
belicve-Clerk of the County Court.